From Shattered to Mende

Chapter 4

Sonic's gaze darts between the transformed landscapes. "New Yoke... No Place... Boscage Maze..." He turns to Tails, seeking answers. "Tails, what just happened?"

"I believe transferring the Prism energy brought these places with it," Tails explains, and Sonic nods in comprehension. His eyes scan New Yoke before returning to his friends.

"Want to meet Redel and Knucks? Maybe even Nine if he's around," Sonic suggests.

"Sure," Amy responds eagerly, but Tails appears uneasy. The mention of Nine, after hearing about his actions towards Sonic, fills Tails with apprehension. Despite his fear, Tails follows Sonic into New Yoke, uncertain of what awaits them.

As they stepped into New Yoke, confusion spread among the residents witnessing the unfamiliar sight of a blue sky and trees. Sonic scans the area, spotting Redel and Knucks attempting to reassure the bewildered crowd.

"What's going on?!"

"Why..."

"Please, calm down. We will find out what is going on..."

"Redel! Knucks!" he yell as he rushes toward Redel and Knucks, embracing them.

"Sonic, you're alive!" Redel exclaims, both shocked and relieved.

"Thanks to Shadow," Sonic laughs.

"Do you know what's happening?" Knucks inquires.

"Yes. Welcome to my Green Hill," Sonic replies, a smile playing on his face as he notices the curious gazes of Redel and Knucks.

"What did you do?"

"Well, I wasn't really back to normal, and Shadow asked Tails," Sonic gestures toward a nervously smiling Tails, "to build something to give me some Prism energy, and, well, this happened."

Redel sighs, her eyes shifting to Rouge, who's engaged in conversation with Shadow. She turns back to Sonic. "So you're saying that you have Prism energy again, and this is the result?"

"Yeah," Sonic confirms. 

Redel sighs, processing the situation. "Okay. Is it just New Yoke, or are the other shatterverses here too?"

"Boscage Maze is here, and No Place is at the ocean. Don't know about the Grim. Haven't seen it yet," Sonic responds.

As they continue conversing, Tails notices a fox attempting to slip away discreetly. Unsure whether to follow, Tails eventually decides to trail him. After three minutes, the fox stops abruptly, and Tails hides.

"I know you're there," the fox declares, causing Tails to sigh before revealing himself.

"H... Hey?" Tails stammers, uncertain of what to expect from the encounter.

The fox stares at Tails. "Why are you following me?"

"I want to know if you are Nine."

"I am..."

Tails presses on, curiosity evident in his expression. "Why are you here, in New Yoke?"

"I don't know. I was in my lab in the Grim when a purple light comes out of nowhere, and I wake up in my old lab in New Yoke," Nine explains, uncertainty lingering in his voice.

Tails sighs before he looks down, and the sound of Nine sitting down reaches his ears.

"What is your relationship with Sonic?" Nine slowly asks, a hint of vulnerability in his voice. Tails smiles.

"Did he tell you how we met?" Tails asks, and Nine nods.

"Yeah. He stops the bullies, and you began to follow him."

"It's true, but he left some things out... I was getting bullied, and I was so hurt that I wanted to pass out," Tails says as he takes one of his tails and grooms it. "I thought I might finally die, but Sonic showed up, looking so worried, even though he didn't know me."

Nine looks surprised and glances down. "I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

"I was so jealous of you... I thought if I could give Sonic a new home, he would forget about you and your friends," Nine admits, revealing a layer of regret and longing in his words.

Tails looks at Nine, seeing the sadness in his eyes. Without hesitation, Tails hugs Nine, surprising him. Slowly, Nine reciprocates, and they share a meaningful embrace.

They remain locked in the hug until a voice interrupts the moment.

"Nine..." It's Sonic, breaking the silence and bringing attention to the unexpected reunion.